Proton beam therapy tested for rare skull base tumor
NCT ID NCT00496119
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Phase II trial is studying whether proton beam therapy, with or without standard photon radiation, can effectively treat skull base chordoma, a rare tumor at the base of the skull. Nineteen participants who had surgery to remove as much tumor as possible are receiving daily radiation treatments for 35-39 sessions. Researchers are tracking how long it takes for the tumor to come back and how safe the treatment is.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Proton beam therapy (a type of radiation)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that proton beam therapy is an effective way to control skull base chordoma and delay or prevent tumor regrowth after surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 19 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The study is no longer recruiting, and it is not yet known if proton therapy is better than standard radiation.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
19 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Sep 2006
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Pathologically confirmed chordoma of the skull base 2. Contrast enhanced postoperative MRI (CT in case MRI is contraindicated) of the skull base obtained within 90 days of study registration 3. MDACC surgeons have determined that optimal debulking of disease has been performed. 4. Karnofsky Performance status greater than or equal to 60 5. Signed informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. Previous irradiation of the skull base 2. Documented evidence of disseminated metastatic disease 3. Any concurrent malignancy (other than non-melanoma skin cancers) in the last 3 years
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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